Chapter 12

An Early Morning Start

Inside the bunker near the rail yard Bruce was sitting in front of his collection of video screens that showed incoming 911 call sheets, footage of the newscast about the Joker being sent to Arkham and a DNA scan that Fox sent by email. He typed in onto the key board to tune on the different sounds from the 911 call that police received just before Tilly Whitehorn went missing. He turned and looked at Diana was sitting on one of the work benches and then he indicated at the screens. "They are either using Tilly Whitehorn has leverage to get to Judge Whitehorn or trying to target me ."

"Why would they target you Bruce? You don't even know this girl?"

"There are two different kinds of criminals in this city princess the ruthless and the desperate. The mob is the ruthless; they have been targeting me ever since they lost their money to the mad clown. I know that the mob will never go down without a fight. Bit this is not their calling card, someone else, a desperate criminal as entered the streets of my city and plans to leave a mark."

Bruce got up from the desk, pressed at button that raised a steel cabinet the held his bat suit.

"You keep another suit down here?" Diana asked with confusion. "I thought you only used the bat cave?"

"I used this place in case Bruce Wayne or the Batman ever has to go underground. It was first used when Wayne Manor was being rebuilt. Call it a home away from home kind of place princess."

Diana nodded. "So why do criminals of in this city hunt down innocent women?"

"Criminals aren't complicated princess, they always have motives. Targeting women has always been a common motive for a common rapist or drug dealer. They think women are weak and defenseless."

"That's a lie!" Diana shouted. "Women are capable of defending themselves."

"Perhaps on your island Diana, Not in Gotham, the average woman that lives down town gets mugged coming home from away week. That is why most of the bodies found in trash cans are labeled as Jane Doe's." Bruce said as he opened the steel case and pulled out his grappling hook.

"So women here are weak and do nothing to defend themselves?"

"If you don't count pepper spray and teasers as a line of defense than yes..."

Diana crossed her arms. "My mother taught me that in order for a woman to make it out alive in this world she must be strong physically and mentally. That is why she trained my Amazon sisters at a young age." She looked at Bruce. "But now after seeing the real world woman, I know without a doubt they have become truly lost."

Bruce stared at Diana. He reached for the Bat suit. "Ready?" He asked pulling off his black t shirt to reveal tight muscles covered with scars and marks from past battles he endured.

"Yes." Diana said in firm voice. "I am ready."

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The early light of dawn was reflecting off the windows of Gotham's Skyline as Batman stood on the top listening in to the radio frequencies with his one million ear piece that the R and D department designed while Diana was looking at the sun raising.

"What are you staring at princess," Batman asked as his head turn and looked at dark haired woman while listening to babbling in his ear.

Diana sighed. "Looking at the sun raising reminds me of home. My mother and I used to ride our horses together to the shore just to watch the dawn come. Seeing this remains me of home. Now because what will happen tonight I don't think I will ever see this treasure of the sky ever again."

"Don't lose hope." Batman replied. "We'll find a way out of this princess."

"Yes, but what about you Bruce, you don't know what Aphrodite has planned for you."

"I'm not worried about that right now." He tuned on a voice that emerged from police dispatch.

"Your name, madam. Please state your name…"

A woman's voice whispered. "Gotham Cement Factory. You'll find a sick little girl there."

Batman turned his head. "Princess, we've got our lead." He moved to the edge to spread out his cape to form a gliding wind.

"Do you want me to carry you down?" Diana asked.

"No thanks."

Batman dove into the air and glided to the streets while Wonder Woman jumped down and flew behind him until she was close enough to talk.

"So where are we going?"

"Gotham Cement Factory, located on the East Side near the warehouse district. It has been closed down and stated to be condemned after the murder of two workers that were poisoned by a deadly compound that police called inconclusive."He found the alley way of which housed his BatCycle, and landed on the sidewalk. His cape returned back to its normal shape as he walked into the alley way and slid his body onto the saddle of the high tech bike.

Diana smacked her feet on the pavement. "Do you want me to meet you there?" She asked.

Batman turned on the engine. "If you find it, princess," He smirked and zoomed out the alley way and down the street with the black cape blowing behind him passing the incoming morning traffic.

Diana rubbed her crimson lips together. "Oh, I think I can."

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Batman moved from the shadows of the wall. "Princess, stay where you are , you don't want to contaminate the evidence."

Diana looked at Batman who moved to the door that lead to the basement. He pressed the temple of his cowl and red lens covered the slits of his eyes. "No signs of forced entry. The lock not even scratched." He observed with his lips tight.

Diana made herself stand down as she stood behind him. He used his booted foot and kicked down the door as his red lens reveals heat coming off handprints on the walls. He snapped a scan with the lens and continued to make his way down the stairs. "Stay sharp," He ordered to Diana. "We don't know what awaits down there."

"I'm not afraid." Diana demanded. "I fear nothing that this made of flesh and blood."

"Yes, but there is little girl down there ." Batman replied. "Any mistake and it's her life wasted."

Diana sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

"Cyanide." Batman answered. "It is a deadly poison that can felt you face off."

"Great Hera, how disturbing…."

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Both Batman and Wonder Woman made it to the last step only to be stopped by a locked door that was bolt down.

"This looks time a perfect time for a woman to interfere." Diana said ready to push the down the door with her strength. Batman wrapped her by the wrist. "What?"

"Stealth," He said removing a sawing device from his belt that he thrusts to door knob and began cutting into the metal.

"My way would have been faster." Diana huffed.

The knob fall to the floor and Batman placed his gloved hand in the open hole and reached for the lock on the other side and turned. The door swung open revealing a damp dark room filled with vines hanging from the ceiling.

Diana looked up. "What are these things?" She asked.

"Plants." He said passing to bodies of men that had their faces melted off, all that was left was eye holes and bone. He placed a rebreather over his mouth and strode towards a pile of shipping crates. "Diana," He said.

Wonder Woman flew to his position and opened the crate with one hand and threw the door on the cement ground making a thundering noise. Batman peered inside and saw a small form of a child bounded with duck tape around her wrists. He reached into the darkness and grabbed her.

"Is that Tilly?" Wonder Woman asked. "How is she?"

"Alive, but is running a fever because of the lack of oxygen. I need you to bring her to Gotham General right away." He placed the child in her hand. "Her life depends on it."

Wonder Woman nodded. "What about you?"

"I need to see a friend about a blood sample. I'll see you later." He walked over to a vine and sliced off a piece and then bolted to the stair well.

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On the roof top of Wayne Tower Batman was crouched down , he yawned from the lack of sleep his was suffering from.

"I thought you had to see a friend about the blood sample?" Diana asked standing behind him.

'It's early. He don't be here in another two hours." Batman replied.

"Maybe we can work together on this." Diana folded her arms. Batman turned his head and looked back at her as he removed his grappling hook from his holster .

"I'm not much of a team player princess, just ask Superman. Besides you're not very good at stealth. He fired his grapple to the adjacent building and was ready to swing into the air, but Diana placed her boot on his cape and held him down. He turned his head and she pressed her lips onto his.

Batman pulled away. "What was that for?"

"Just a good night kiss."

"Night?" He questioned. "Its morning princess."

"Well it's nighttime on my island."

Bruce arched a eye brow under the cowl and then he swung away to the roof top.

Diana shook her head. "Always the escape artist,"